Chapter 50 Illuminating the Future
Only Bai Hui and her daughter knew about Yu Bei's affair with Yao Fanghua. Bai Hui discovered it through subtle clues and her son's unusual behavior.
Bai Hui was so distracted while operating the sewing machine that she was almost completely lost. Just as she was tearing up countless handkerchiefs, heaven opened its eyes.
Not long after, Yao Fanghua went to the countryside, and her son joined the army.
Bai Hui chose a daughter-in-law she liked for Yu Bei. The girl was filial and obedient. Like Bai Hui, she enjoyed needlework. Her family was also better off than the Yu family's. Ultimately, the girl was willing.
Bai Hui was satisfied.
She would rather die than let her son marry Li Chunying's daughter. Besides, Yao Fanghua was far too unworthy of her son; what kind of background or circumstances did she have to dare to marry him?
Bai Hui operates the sewing machine, while Li Qiuli sews cotton gloves beside her. Under the lamplight, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law complement each other well.
The eldest son moved out, and the daughter lives in a dormitory and only comes back on weekends. Bai Hui is usually alone at home.
After Yu Bei and his wife returned home, Bai Hui now had someone to keep her company.
Bai Hui glanced at Li Qiuli's belly. Li Qiuli was pleasing to Bai Hui in every way, except that she had not gotten pregnant, which made Bai Hui somewhat dissatisfied.
Li Qiuli's mind was elsewhere, completely unfocused on the needlework. Who exactly was Hua Hua, the Hua Hua that Yu Bei kept mentioning in his dream? Was she his classmate? His childhood friend? Was she nearby? Or perhaps even in this courtyard?
No rush. She should make her move after she has a child. Once she has a child, Yu Bei won't divorce her. Maybe then Yu Bei will change his mind.
It's so late and he's still not back. Did he really go drinking with his new colleagues? Or did he go see his ex? Li Qiuli was getting restless and wanted to go outside to look for him.
She had just put on her coat when she saw Yu Bei enter the courtyard. She quickly pushed the door open and went out.
Yu Bei was walking unsteadily, and Li Qiuli went to support him. He reeked of alcohol, so he had definitely been drinking. Whether it was from the alcohol or not, Yu Bei's eyes were red, and he didn't say a word. He went back to his room and went to sleep.
Bai Hui called into the house, "Give him a hot foot bath, it's freezing cold."
"Okay. Mom, you should get some rest."
...
Yao Fanghua went home and locked the front door.
People who are no longer on your mind, even if you see them, it's just the same old thing.
She added coal briquettes to make the room warmer.
At first, she didn't understand why so many people loved drinking baijiu (a type of Chinese liquor). It was so spicy and pungent; what was so appealing about it? Wasn't the point of eating and drinking to enjoy oneself? She preferred rice wine, which was sweet.
Now, gradually, she has even begun to appreciate the nuances of it.
Sometimes, having a drink brings an indescribable sense of joy.
Work is gradually getting on track. Samples of the new fan model have been produced and are ready for mass production.
Significant progress has also been made in washing machines, with trial production expected by mid-year.
Yu Jun took it very seriously and would go to the workshop two or three times a day.
His next step was his car, but of these two projects, the washing machine was of paramount importance.
Yao Fanghua had to report on her work every two days; she couldn't skip it, or Director Yu would come after her directly.
During the presentation, Yao Fanghua shared a lot of professional knowledge with Yu Jun. Sometimes, Director Geng would come over to listen, and Yu Jun felt he benefited greatly. The relationship between the three quickly warmed up.
Yu Bei poured tea for the three of them and then listened to their intermittent, high-pitched voices from outside the office.
In March, the temperature begins to rise.
After reporting his work before leaving work that day, Factory Manager Yu said, "Xiao Yao is coming to my house for dinner tonight, and Youliang is coming too."
“Perfect timing, I have two bottles of good wine, let’s have a good drink today,” Director Geng immediately chimed in.
"I'm in for a treat today! I get to enjoy Auntie's delicious cooking and drink Director Geng's fine wine." There were some Hong Kong-style pastries Yang Liu brought back, which he could take with him. Wu Peng hadn't returned from Shenzhen yet, but Yang Liu, with two of his Shenzhen underlings, had made two trips back with goods. After delivering the goods and collecting payment, he handed the money and ledger to Yao Fanghua for reconciliation, then hurriedly headed back to Shenzhen.
Wu Peng was even busier, constantly running back and forth to the port city, searching for source parts factories, finding customers and securing orders, and expanding his workshop. He was also busy researching what the people of the port city needed and liked—these were the wealthier customer groups he was dealing with. No wonder people from the port city were setting up factories and doing business in Shenzhen; production costs were lower there. The price of land here was only a fraction of what it was in Shenzhen. The hourly rate for labor was also significantly lower in Shenzhen. He only realized here that wages could be calculated by the hour, and people could earn money by the hour. Some people earned in a single day what they would earn in a month on the mainland. Damn it!
Wu Peng wanted to buy an apartment in the port city, to settle down here, where the wind felt free. The port city's prosperity dazzled him. Especially after his chance encounter with the slick-haired man on the streets of the port city, and after the man took him to an auction, he almost forgot his roots. Forget about any nostalgia, maybe he should sell one of his grandfather's paintings first? The bidding for those things here was incredibly high, like his ancestors' graves were emitting auspicious smoke, but at the auction, the prices were so high they made his heart go blind. How could people be so rich?! He was truly grateful to the slick-haired man for showing him the world, which had shaken his resolve. His shaky worldview completely collapsed.
That evening, Yao Fanghua brought some snacks to visit Director Yu's house. When she entered, she found that in addition to Director Geng, Zhou Fengzhi was also there.
Yao Fanghua greeted Director Geng with "uh-huh," while wondering to herself why Zhou Fengzhi was there.
Zhou Fengzhi was a member of the fan quality inspection team. Aside from her somewhat unusual name, there seemed to be nothing else about her that caught her attention. How come she'd caught the factory manager's eye? Lately, the factory manager had been visiting the workshop more frequently. What strengths or advantages did this guy have that she didn't know or hadn't noticed?
Yao Fanghua tried hard to recall. Hmm, she was usually quite conscientious in her work. Although not outstanding, she was decent and spoke reasonably well. What else...?
Zhou Fengzhi stood up and greeted Yao Fanghua.
Seeing Zhou Fengzhi get up, Director Yu's youngest daughter was unhappy. She pulled Zhou Fengzhi down to sit and glared at Yao Fanghua.
Yao Fanghua: ...She knows what this kid's strengths are. He's hooked up with Factory Director Yu's youngest daughter!
Although Factory Director Yu's youngest daughter was a bit arrogant, she was undeniably pretty and adorable. Yao Fanghua carefully observed Zhou Fengzhi; he wasn't tall, fair-skinned, and slightly plump. His looks were average, but his voice was pleasant—yes, Zhou Fengzhi's voice had a mature, masculine quality. Perhaps that's the type the young lady Yu liked.
At the dinner table, Miss Yu frequently served food to Zhou Fengzhi.
As the biological mother, Madam Yu secretly vented her anger. Although she was angry with her daughter, she still smiled and chatted with Yao Fanghua about Zhou Fengzhi.
"Is Xiao Zhou doing alright at work?"
"Good, very good. You're hardworking and conscientious, thoughtful and capable. Actually, the quality inspection department has always been short of a team leader. Comrade Zhou should have been promoted a long time ago, but I've been too busy lately and neglected to do so." Yao Fanghua knew it was time for her to repay the favor. She owed her promotion to Director Yu.
In the workshop, there are many people like Zhou Fengzhi who remain factory workers their entire lives; you could say they make up 99%. This percentage tells you just how difficult it is to advance in life.
Talent, connections, networks, the boss's appreciation, conflicts of interest, luck, and favorable timing and location—without possessing one or two of these, how can you climb the ladder? Why would they give a position to someone they know if they can reserve it for themselves?
First, you become a foreman, then you're transferred to other work sections for a while, moving around twice a year—that makes your resume look good. If you develop within the workshop, the next step is section chief, workshop director…
However, she thought that Zhou Fengzhi would be more willing to develop in the office building, so the next step would be to be transferred to the office as a staff member, and then rise up... In the near future, he might be on equal footing with her.
"We still need to keep him in check. It's not too late to bring it up in two years. People only appreciate what they have when it's hard-won, so he won't become arrogant. He's prone to giving up when faced with setbacks." Director Yu raised his glass, gesturing for Yao Fanghua to have a drink with him.
After the two had drunk some wine, Yao Fanghua said, "Look at what the factory director is saying. So, it's wrong to be young and promising. Look at me, I'm afraid you'll set obstacles for me and toughen me up."
Mrs. Yu smiled and served Yao Fanghua some food. "Try the eggplant that your auntie cooked. I know you young ladies love sweets, so I put in a lot of sugar. Don't listen to your factory director's nonsense; he values you the most."
"Auntie, you've hurt my feelings. Sigh, I thought I was the factory director's number one, but it turns out I'm not. It seems I'm getting old, useless, and no longer appreciated by you, Auntie," Director Geng joked.
Madam Yu smiled, her face crinkling, and placed a piece of fish, which was Director Geng's favorite, on her plate. "You are also the most valued, as are all of you."
The meal was enjoyed by everyone. After leaving the factory director's house, Director Geng made a point of catching up with Yao Fanghua to share some gossip, a way of currying favor and getting closer to her. Ah, sharing gossip really is an easy way to build rapport, Director Geng thought sincerely.
“An’an, that girl,” he pointed to his head, giving a complicated look, indicating that his factory manager’s daughter had some mental issues.
"Actually, I was also stimulated. I heard it, but I only heard it."
"I heard that you mentioned it," Yao Fanghua said, and she immediately became interested. "Isn't this the classic opening line for gossip?" Yao Fanghua looked on with curiosity.
Director Geng didn't keep her in suspense any longer. He cleared his throat and said, "I heard that she liked a guy, but he didn't like her and got together with someone else. This girl was hurt, and then Zhou Fengzhi coaxed her a few times, and the two of them got back together."
It is said that Zhou Fengzhi took advantage of the situation and directly asked An'an, "How about we get together?"
Yu An'an agreed and even took him home to meet her parents.
Just one sentence! That's all! My future looks bright.
He couldn't help but sigh for Factory Director Yu. But deep down, he secretly envied that kid. He was damn lucky; he knew how to take shortcuts. Being a kept man was so appealing; he wanted to be one too.
On second thought, he also has a daughter. That damned gigolo! He even considered teaching his daughter a lesson beforehand, telling her what a man is, what a man's unspeakable thoughts are, his hidden little secrets, his usual tactics, his mind, and how to see through a man's thoughts at a glance...
That said, who wouldn't want to take a shortcut? Looking at Director Geng's changing expressions, what kind of emotional journey had he gone through? Yao Fanghua teased, "Look at you, overthinking things again. Maybe it's true love."
This time, Director Geng was truly disgusted, like he'd eaten shit. If this were real love, he'd twist his head off and let that Zhou guy kick it. Women really are hopeless in this area.
Finally, Director Geng said quietly, "You're still young and don't understand men. When you get older, you'll naturally understand." At that time, he won't bother to pretend in front of you anymore.
"Little Yao, don't blame me for not reminding you, while you're young, don't rush into marriage, date a few more people. Things aren't like they used to be, now it's free love. Have more free love experiences so you won't regret it later. Poor him, he wasn't born in a better era."
Back then, it was hard to even get enough to eat, and we got married without even knowing what love felt like. Now that we have enough to eat and drink, we want to enrich our spiritual lives. Sigh, it's painful.
Yao Fanghua: ...
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